(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

NEW ORLEANS -- NFL International Series plans for the 2026 regular season include the first ever game in Australia.

A date for the game in Australia will be announced this year with the site identified Wednesday as the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2026, with the Los Angeles Rams as the designated team.

"Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "Together with the Victorian State Government, Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, we look forward to making history in what is an important market for the NFL and a significant next step in expanding our international footprint."

The Rams quickly confirmed they would be one of the teams participating in the Australia game.

Up to eight games per season will be played outside the United States as part of the International Series agreement. In 2025, the NFL has released confirmed games in London, Berlin and Madrid.

In 1999, the NFL staged a preseason game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in Sydney.

"Today is an exciting day for Rams fans across the world, especially in Australia, where our players and organization have received an enthusiastic reception over the past few years when we have been in market," Rams owner Stan Kroenke said. "This is the next important step for both the Rams and the broader Kroenke Sports Entertainment family to continue to expand our reach globally, and we are thrilled to work with Commissioner Goodell and the league office to make history and bring the first NFL regular season game to Australia."

Fifty-five regular-season games have been played in major international cities from London, Munich, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto.